<p>With 90 players in training camp, the Atlanta Falcons have yet to reach a critical point regarding Michael Vick's status on the 53-man roster.</p><p>The proverbial clock is ticking, however.</p><p>General manager Rich McKay still isn't sure if the NFL will grant the Falcons a roster exemption if Vick misses part or all of 2007 to answer a federal indictment on dogfighting charges.</p><p>NFL teams aren't required to trim rosters to 53 players until Week 1, but it's unlikely the league would force Atlanta to keep Vick active even for one game</p><p>Doing so could undermine the Falcons at quarterback, because only two would be in uniform at that position, or at a spot that could affect special teams.</p><p>On game days, teams only dress 46 players, including an emergency, backup quarterback.</p><p>This much Atlanta knows for certain: In the season-opening game at Minnesota on Sept. 9, Joey Harrington will start at quarterback, but should he leave with an injury, the Falcons would be in a serious predicament.</p><p>Harrington's primary backup, D.J. Shockley, hasn't taken a snap in a game and spent all of his rookie season last year as the team's third-string, emergency backup.</p><p>Current No. 3 Chris Redman has a career record of 3-3, but the Baltimore's third-round pick of 2002 was selling insurance last season in Louisville and last played in an NFL game in November 2003.</p><p>Lang Campbell, who's best known for his career at William & Mary, is the team's fourth-string quarterback.</p><p>The Falcons appear to have few alternatives in their search for a proven backup to Harrington.</p><p>Easily the best option would be Jake Plummer, who retired when Denver traded him to Tampa Bay in March. Only Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger had a better winning percentage than Plummer (.722) from 2003-06, but the Buccaneers might hesitate to trade him to one of their NFL South rivals.</p><p>Furthermore, Plummer has shown no interest in returning to football despite a 39-15 record with the Broncos.</p><p>Another option might be Mark Brunell, who's listed No. 2 behind Jason Campbell in Washington. During the peak of his 14-year career, from 1996-2002, Brunell worked a few seasons under both new Falcons coach Bobby Petrino and Atlanta quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave.</p><p>Brunell would offer some stability if the Redskins dealt him, but it's doubtful the Falcons could send Washington anything higher than a third-round pick. At 36, Brunell also underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason.</p><p>Aaron Brooks, a cousin of Vick, and Koy Detmer also might be possibilities to back up Harrington, who has a career quarterback rating of 68.1 and is 20 games under .500 in 43 starts.</p><p>Drafted No. 3 overall by the Detroit Lions in 2002, Harrington believes the Falcons' offense could become one of the NFL's most prolific under Petrino.</p><p>"It gives you the opportunity to combat what the defense is trying to do to you," Harrington said last week. "Its built a lot on recognition. Recognizing getting ourselves in a good play as opposed to reacting to what the defense is doing to us. We are aggressive in what we are trying to do."</p><p>In Petrino's offense, the quarterback must hit spots with receivers in short yardage situations and use the play-action to lull the defense into giving up a big completion downfield.</p><p>Under former coordinator Greg Knapp, the Falcons consistently ranked among the NFL's worst in the air.</p><p>"Its going to be a lot of studying and a lot of film work to learn a team's tendencies," Harrington said. "Once you get that down you have the ability to attack them. That is a completely different mentality from what I am use to and I love it."</p><p>Notes:@ Petrino might keep linebacker Keith Brooking (knee) and right guard Kynan Forney (back) on the sideline for the first part of practice this week. ... The Falcons waived two injured players on Saturday, rookie center Doug Datish (wrist), a sixth-round pick from Ohio State, and guard Tonui Fonot (foot), a five-year veteran. ... Center Ben Wilkerson, a former backup in Cincinnati and Cleveland, and defensive back Tony Franklin, a rookie free agent from Virginia, were signed as replacements.</p>
